This invention relates to connectors for pluggable engagement between terminals carried by the connector and terminals carried by a panel. More particularly the invention relates to connectors carrying pressure fitted terminals thereon.
Connectors using terminal strips with pressure fitted terminals are well known in the art. For example, AMP Incorporated catalog No. 902-9 issued Dec. 1970 illustrates and describes a variety of such connectors. Such connectors, however, suffer from a number of disadvantages. For example, prior art terminal strips are limited in length and the number of terminals permitted in a signal strip because long strips tend to expand longitudinally or bow when the pressure fitted terminals are inserted thereby destroying the mating fit with the mating part. Thus, where a long connector with numerous terminals is required, the limitations of the prior art connectors necessitate resort to such techniques as a series of short connectors mounted separately or other complex, costly, and unreliable alternatives.